Protector Of My Heart
by doctorpaily
Summary: After the death of Emily's parents in a tragic car accident, she was left with issues that were unresolved. Secret Agent, Paige McCullers, is under a mission to protect Emily Fields. Because of this situation, Paige has to be with Emily 24/7, until Emily is out of harms way.. and eventually even after. This is set in a universe where Paige and Emily never met and -A never existed.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, thank you for clicking on my story! Reviews welcomed and since this is my first story, please be gentle :)  
All proof reading was done by my eyes only so.. forgive any punctuation/spelling/grammar errors.

Alright, on to the story...

* * *

Chapter One

Looking at the file in her hands, she took a moment to study it while listening to what her orders were. Paige sat at her usual corner of the café, taking a sip of her latte while she effortlessly looked inconspicuous as she talked to the micro mini mike hidden at her ear. She pressed it so that the message from the other end could be heard, scratching her head afterwards so that she won't seem so weird. She then placed the cup down on the coffee table in front of her and studied the file again.

"Agent 309. Everything you need to know is in that file. Were you aware of your surroundings during the time of obtaining it?" A low and robotic voice from the other end of the line said.

"Yes, of course. You know me when it comes to all these secrecy stuff. I've done this for how long?" Paige said, replying with a rhetorical question in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Alright, alright. I trust you can handle this agent 309." The man replied, sounding more at ease.

"Yes sir." Paige said, assurance sounded in her voice.

She bent forward to take her latte in one hand with the file in the other, heading out of the café and towards her car. After getting into the driver's seat, she thought about opening the file when a beeping sound beeped from the hearing device at her ear. Paige pressed it and the low voice of the agent from the other end spoke once again.

"Oh, and one more thing I would like to clarify with you, 309."

"What is it?"

"NO, and I mean NO, being intimate with the client. Okay? No sexual contact or relationship or whatever. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir..." Paige sighed sarcastically, a grin forming on her face. She always liked joking around with her fellow secret agents, especially Richard, the agent she's currently speaking to. Richard has been around the agency staff for as long as he could remember, and took missions very seriously. Paige treated him like an elder brother she never had.

"Agent. DO I make myself clear? I hope you take matters like this more seriously."

_Wow. Richard doesn't sound like he's in a good mood. _Paige thought.

"Of course. You know how serious I am when I'm getting the job done." Paige said, only to hear a sigh in reply from Richard. She continued, "I assure you I won't do such things with the client. She's probably not even.. you know.." letting her sentence hang.

"Okay. Well, good luck agent 309. Get through this without failing and be safe. See you back at headquarters when this mission is over." Richard said, back to sounding calmer again.

"Thanks, see ya." Paige said before ending the line.

Paige started the car, placing her latte in a cup holder beside her. She took the file and finally began to open it.  
_The way Richard warned me not to get too friendly with this girl must mean that she's proba..bly... _Paige's thoughts came into complete halt.  
Her mind turned blank, eyes falling on a picture of a girl with wavy raven hair and smooth looking skin. The pair of deep brown eyes so pure, they resemble pearls that can never be found girl wasn't smiling in this photo, but just her neutral expression was beautiful.  
She thought twice about finishing her sentence she was thinking a moment ago, but no words came into mind. She quickly took a look at this girl's information in the file.

"Emily Fields"

Paige said, barely audible. This was because she had to be aware of her surroundings, making sure that no one overheard her as this was all top-secret, and that this girl was absolutely breathtaking. She shook her head a little, trying to snap out of the trance she got caught in when she saw the picture of the girl.

_Thank God I haven't stepped on the pedal yet.._ She thought to herself as she drove out of the parking lot and headed towards town area where she'll find Emily as stated in the file.

* * *

By the time Paige reached town, she managed to read the entire background information, biography and classified information on Emily. The road to town was always filled with jams, so she took her time and now it was roughly 11.35pm.

_Parents are deceased.. _Paige thought quietly to herself.

_She sounds like an independent person. Trying all sorts of jobs just to pay off the debt for her parents, till now. That guy..What's his name?_ She furrowed her brows as she flipped the pages and studied the enemy's info again.

_Ray Reynolds._ She glared at his picture, silently cursing him for causing Emily to have such a difficult time in life.  
Paige let out a sigh, knowing that cursing him won't do any good and that it won't make this mission complete any faster. She needed to do this mission. She needed to protect Emily from this guy and save her from all this.

With that in mind, Paige found the drive to carry out the mission without fail, and the first thing to do now is to meet Emily Fields. She continued her journey, making her way out of the car park after parking her car.  
After crossing a few roads and walking along some streets, Paige finally reached the address she was looking for.

_Oh my..._

What stood before her was a strip club, and Paige was new to this because she has never been to one. All her time spent as a secret agent, the kinds of clubs she had been to were pubs and disco clubs at most. She took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.  
The whole place gave Paige a lustful feel. The smell of alcohol and tobacco filled the air. Music pumping and colourful lights beaming everywhere. Half naked women performing on stage, teasing the men that were howling and tossing money at them.

"Well, hello there sugar. Anything I can help you with?" A woman asked while approaching Paige.

She looked like she was in her early 30s, barely had enough clothes on and way too much make up.

"I'm fine, thank you." Paige answered, embarrassed.

"Sugar, this is a strip club. If I'm not your type then I'll be glad to help you find the perfect dancer that fits your taste." The woman said with a wink. Paige gave a polite smile before asking, "Err.. There is a type I'm looking for. Any chance you could find me a brunette girl?"

"Sugar, we have so many brunettes, you could pick one just by standing here. Could you specify your type a little more?" The woman asked curiously.

"Yeah. I like them tan and slightly shorter than me." Paige said, remembering that the info stated in the file mentioned Emily's height and that Paige was slightly taller than her.

"Hmm. I know a few that suits your vague description. Follow me." The woman said, deciding not to bother asking anymore.

Paige followed the woman into another room, the flashing lights disappearing and the dimness causing her to walk warily. This room had an even more lustful atmosphere, surrounded by mist and dark red and black lights fading into the walls.  
Once the woman left, Paige continued her search. She strolled around to find Emily while looking quite casual. At the same time, Paige saw some drunk men trying to get some action with the strippers. She had to look like she was here for pleasure as well. It was a strip club after all.  
She walked to one of the lounges, took a seat, and waited for a stripper in an attempt to look like a regular customer.

Shortly after, Paige saw a person, or rather a few people, approaching her at the corner of her eye.

"Hey, are you all by yourself? A cutie like you ought to have some company around." A brunette with crystal blue eyes spoke as she sat next to Paige, making her tense a little because this was a new experience.

"Relax.." Another brunette with hazel eyes said as she placed her hands gently onto Paige's shoulders and gave a light squeeze. Paige had to try really hard to look like she was enjoying all of this. Truth to be told, she had never been to a strip club before because she wasn't the type to fool around with other girls for the fun of it. It all just seemed really uncomfortable for Paige.

There were three of them. One sitting at her right and another standing in front of her, bending as she leaves her hands on Paige's shoulders to show off her cleavage on purpose. The sexy hazel-eyed brunette was busy flaunting off her boobs while the other was stroking Paige's thigh. However, they both couldn't seem to get her attention. The blue-eyed brunette noticed that the third brunette, standing at a comfortable distance away from their little sexual harassment party, was getting Paige's complete attention. She gave a sly grin and stopped the sexy brunette from whatever she was doing, hinting to her that it was time for both of them to leave.

Once a customer finds what he or she likes, the others have to go. In this case, Paige only looked at this girl. This girl was the center of her attention, making it pretty obvious when she clearly showed no interest in the others just now.  
Staring into the warm brown eyes of the brunette standing a few steps away, Paige gave a small smile, sitting up from the sofa and dipping her head bashfully. The raven hair beauty took that sign as an invitation and walked closer to the lone girl.

"Hi. Would you like to see me dance for you?" The girl said rather timidly as she leaned against the pole in front of Paige.

Paige took a moment to process her response as she looked at this girl up close. _Wow.. She's even more beautiful in person, _she thought.  
Among all the other performers Paige saw, the brunette standing in front of her right now was probably the most covered up compared to the rest of them. She wore a fitting white shirt with horizontal slits across the middle of her top, making it so that her laced red bra slightly peeks through. The shirt stops short above her toned stomach, followed by her navy cropped shorts with ripped holes in them. They revealed her matching red laced panties inside and she was rocking a pair of five-inch black heels. All of this in front of Paige and she had to force herself to maintain her composure.

"It's alright. But could we talk?" Words finally coming out of her mouth.

"Sorry, can't do that. I only offer strip tease and lap dances. I don't know anything about strippers talking to their customers." The girl said after a beat.  
This made Paige a little panicky, knowing that her next decision will be regretful but she needed to get this girl out of here.

"Alright. A lap dance please." Paige said, trying to hide how flustered she was.

The girl didn't say anything as she walked leisurely towards Paige, taking big strides that showed off her long legs. The raven hair beauty turned her back to Paige and straddled her legs. She started moving, jerking her ass against Paige's inner thighs and stomach area. Paige was at the lost of words, thinking that her plan of getting this girl out was a complete disaster. She tried to calm herself quickly as her body stiffened up, willing her hands from grabbing the girl's ass that was in her face. She didn't want the brunette to be doing a strip show for her, knowing that she wouldn't be able to talk to her up close, and because she would've gotten a mini heart attack if she were to just see more of the raven beauty's luscious skin.

"Hey.. What's your name?" Paige managed to say casually.

"Kitty." The brunette said, turning her head to the side to see her customer from the corner of her eye.

"Kitty? I meant what's your real name." Paige clarified, trying to talk to this girl the way she planned to.

"Oh. Well I can't really reveal that." The girl said, turning her head back to face away from Paige. Another idea sprouted in her head.

"Alright then. Hey kitty, could you turn around? Do your thing in a reversed position?" Paige said quietly, controlling the tremble in her voice.

Without a word, kitty got off and turned to face her. She looked slightly more confident than before, making Paige squirm unnoticed in her seat. The brunette leaned in towards her, pinning Paige into the back of her seat. "You like it like this?" The brunette whispered into Paige's ear, making her shiver from the warmth of the brunette's breath that touched her skin.

She pulled back and began rocking her hips while straddling Paige. Paige gulped her anxiety and said softly, "Yeah. Actually, I really want to know you.." Looking into the brunette's brown eyes straight on, she felt like she was going to pass out from the extremely fast rate her heart was beating at.

Paige didn't dare to shift her eyes anywhere else, afraid to look at the smooth skin of the raven beauty's cleavage that may be the death of her. When the brunette furrowed her brows in confusion, Paige continued "Come on, we can get out of here. Go somewhere. Anywhere." The brunette looked hesitant.

She bit her lip before she spoke, "Alright. But it's going to cost you. If you want me to leave now when my shift isn't even over, you have to pay up."

"Deal. Let's go. I have my money right here." Paige said after a beat, getting up immediately after kitty got off from her.

She couldn't risk the brunette changing her mind as she hastily walked out of the place, passing a large sum of cash to the person at the counter before exiting with the girl closely behind her. Working as a secret agent, each agent doing field work are given loads of money for their missions, just in case.

"Wow. You must be pretty rich to spend so much on someone you just met." The girl said, following Paige as she stepped out of the strip club. She let kitty's comment pass as she slowed down her pace to walk next to her, taking off her jacket to cover the brunette that barely had enough clothes on. It was dark out, and the night air was cold and chilly.

"Err.. Thanks." The girl said, appreciating the gesture but wondering why she was doing all this for her.

"Don't mention it. Can I ask you something?" Paige said, not looking at the girl beside her. The brunette didn't say anything, questions of her own forming in her head. With all the street lights, she could see Paige's face clearly, looking at her features as she studied the person that paid for her to get out.

"You're not really a stripper, are you?" Paige asked, turning to look at the brunette's direction. Her breath hitched when she saw the brunette studying her; warm brown eyes so deep that you could look at them forever.

"Was I that bad?" The girl said disappointed, her eyes looking straight into Paige's as she slid her hands into the pockets of the jacket.

"Of course not. You blew me away after you whispered in my ear. I'm just saying. You look like a newbie there, that's all." Paige said coolly, earning a grin from the brunette. She had to lie about her speculations because it was the info in the file that stated that Emily applied to this job recently, explaining why she could be found there.

"Yeah. You're right. Tonight's kind of my first time actually. Did I do a good job and turn you on?" The brunette asked before turning away with a cheeky grin. Paige let out a nervous laughter. She looked at the ground, embarrassed to face the girl.

"I guess.. I'm Paige, by the way." She said, deciding to switch topics before she died of embarrassment.

"Emily. Kitty is just my stage name." She said, looking at Paige. "I'm actually quite lucky to get a girl as my first customer." She added softly.

"Why so?" Paige tilted her head to face Emily, curious to know her reason.

"Well, for starters I'm gay." Emily said nonchalantly, looking at Paige's widened eyes. "You're gay too right? I mean, you did ask for female strippers after all." She continued, looking around to see where they were going.

"Yeah. I am. Sorry, I'm just a little shock because I didn't expect you to be one." Paige said distractedly as she led the way to her car. She opened the door of her car for Emily to get in, closing it after her and made her way to the driver's seat. Paige felt a little uneasy.  
_Why did she just follow me without contemplating?_ she thought. "You're shocking me for the second time." Paige said, as she took her car keys out.

"Why's that?" Emily asked, looking around the car.

"You just followed a stranger to her car. How's that supposed to make me feel?" Paige questioned, looking at the girl seated beside her.

"Well, for a stranger, why did you spend so much money on me?" Emily answered with a question, turning to look at Paige in the eye.

"I told you, I wanted to get to know you. But I'm just surprised because I thought you wouldn't follow strangers so easily without thinking. Didn't your parents teach you not to follow strangers?" Paige said, sounding rather concerned after knowing that Emily dared to do such things.

"Okay first of all, I didn't know you 'buy' to get to know people. That's pretty low." Emily shot, crossing her arms defensively.  
"Secondly, I'm following my instincts and it's telling me that I can trust you. I'm 20 years old for crying out loud, following strangers is my own damn business, not my parents'. I'm capable of looking after myself 'mum'." she added sarcastically at the end of her sentence, looking out of the window. Paige looked at her sadly. She thought about what she said, chastening herself inwardly for mentioning Emily's parents.

"I'm sorry. I just thought you could be more careful. And your instincts are quite reliable. You can trust me." Paige said earnestly, inserting the car keys into the ignition. Silence filled the car as the sound of the engine started. Emily's thoughts went back on what Paige said about following strangers.

"Why are you concerned about me? You don't even know me, and I'm just following you because you paid me to. It's a lot of money and I need it, so I don't really care about what you're gonna do to me." Emily said offhandedly, sounding rather harsh as she tried to set things straight.

"What happened to your senses? Even if you need the money, you shouldn't be doing such a low job! There are plenty of other jobs out there, why be a stripper? That's just being cheap! And I don't need to know you to be concerned about you. I just have to be." Paige said, feeling hurt at the fact that this girl made herself to have zero value.

"Why do you care about what I work as? That's none of your business and no, you don't have to be concerned about me! You're just a stranger to me remember?" Emily said, raising her voice a little as she began to feel pissed.

"That's it. I don't care. I'm not gonna let you go back there anymore. You're under my protection, no objections." Paige said, shifting the gear and driving out of the car park.

"What's your deal?! I don't need your protection, I'm fine. Who said I'm gonna follow you anyways?" Emily said, not believing what the other girl just said as she turned her body to face her.

"Oh, no one said anything about you following me." Paige said, eyes never leaving the road as she looked at Emily from the corner of her eye, "I'm going to follow you." She added after a beat, smirking inwardly as she imagined the confusion written all over Emily's face.  
After talking about the issue they were in for a while, Emily gave up trying to understand the girl and her intentions, and allowed Paige to tag along with her. She didn't look like a threat and since Paige **is** kinda rich, she couldn't possible do anything to her, assuming she has everything she needs. Emily trusted her gut in this. However, she did need the protection due to her current situation, but she hasn't open up to Paige about that yet. This made her a bit hesitant though. What can another girl, whom Emily doesn't even know, do to protect her?


	2. Chapter 2

Hey:) Firstly, thank you so much for the follows/favourites/reviews! Really appreciate them. (The reviews made me so happy and ldidjsdiwb) hahaha.

Secondly, so sorry for the late update. Major exam coming up and I'm pretty packed.. So I apologize for furture late updates. I know this chapter is kinda short, but I promise to make up for it! (soon)

Haha anyways, here's chapt 2 ENJOY!

* * *

Chapter Two

Glancing at the fair skinned girl beside her, Emily was deep in thought about what Paige had said to her. Of course she had self respect. The only thing was that Paige didn't understand the situation Emily was in right now.

Emily was desperate for any job because lately, she had the worst of luck trying to find one. So happened while walking pass the strip club, she saw a 'help wanted' sign and although the pay wasn't quite worth it, Emily had to deal with what she could get for now. All she thought about was the money, and she knew that she would quit immediately after she got her first pay when one guy tried to get cozy with her and she walked away, deciding to stick with the two other strippers for safety reasons.

Emily was actually looking out for a female customer, avoiding all the men that were staring at her with lewd eyes. When she finally noticed Paige sitting at one of the lounges alone, Emily informed the others, deciding to tend to Paige.

Paige seemed like a nice person at first, her cool natured personality being an appealing first impression, but after that little argument Emily had with her, she changed her view of Paige, being more defensive around the auburn hair girl.

"Turn into there next." Emily pointed to the right, as Paige obliged and drove into a parking lot of a motel.

After parking the car and turning the engine off, Paige swiftly got out of the car and went to Emily's side to open the door for her. Emily could feel Paige's eyes on her, expecting Emily to step out of the car. She decided not to budge from her seat, crossing her arms and returning the stare back at Paige.

"What?" Paige asked, raising one eyebrow.

"I still don't really know your reasons for following me." Emily answered, feeling a tinge uneasy. She quickly scanned Paige from head to toe, observing her body language and any small movements made.

Paige just stood in a casual posture, one hand placed on top of the door and the other in her front pocket of her jeans. She looked so at ease, but something was telling Emily that Paige was fully aware of her surroundings. As if Paige could literally catch a bullet coming from behind her with her teeth or something. That observation wasn't anything usual, especially when you're surrounded by civilisation with nothing to fear. Unless you are an 'Emily Fields'.

"Hmm.." Paige said, pursing her lips as she turned to look away, letting her mind wonder.

Emily waited for Paige to give a clearer explanation as to why the girl wanted to follow her, feeling tensed about this outcome.

During the drive to the motel, Emily didn't take Paige seriously, thinking that Paige was trying to bluff her. But now, with all the seriousness that Paige was emitting, Emily panicked.

When Paige shifted her eyes back to Emily's brown orbs, all of the anxiety in Emily slowly diminished. She looked into Paige's deep, light brown eyes, having that gut feeling coming back to her again about how Paige is harmless. However, this gut feeling felt different. Emily could feel a sense of warmth, an inviting warmth which made her confused a little.

Her thoughts were disrupted with the sound of Paige clearing her throat before speaking.

"You'll get your answers once we're in your motel room." and with that, she gestured for Emily to get going, closing the door behind her and locking the car.

Stepping into the motel room, Paige took a look around the place, seeing the kind of living conditions Emily is in. The room was well spaced out, nice yet simple like any other motel room. The walls were painted a shade of dull yellow, with wooden floors and a small window beside the door. An antique looking television sat on a drawer in front of the single person bed. Beside the bed was Emily's opened luggages. The two luggages were not unpacked yet, having most of her clothes and essentials inside them.

Emily closed the door after Paige got in earlier and had already made her way to the bathroom. When she got out a moment later, Emily stood wearing her unforgettable stripper outfit and was already out of Paige's jacket, holding it in her hands.

"Here's your jacket." Emily said softly, looking at Paige observing the place. When her eyes met Emily's, Paige quickly took her jacket back and turned away, mumbling a "thanks" in the process. Paige seemed to be on her toes which made Emily curious, yet again.

"Okay. So now that we're here, what do you want? Why do you want to, or have to, follow me?" Emily asked, seeing that Paige clearly had no intentions on bringing up the elephant in the room. Paige was busying herself with little things like folding her jacket and then unfolding it again, deciding to hook it up instead.

"I don't want anything." Paige began, turning around slowly to face Emily. "And.. I _have_ to follow you. It's kinda my job." She added, looking directly into Emily's chocolate eyes.

"Your job? What do you mean?" Emily said, an eyebrow raising in question. Paige kept quiet for awhile. She was thinking of the possibility of any consequences occurring if she were to let Emily in on the secret.

"Emily Fields. I.. Know... about you." Paige said slowly, her thinking still in process. She shut her eyes to concentrate on her 'speech', Emily lost in confusion but waiting patiently for an explanation.

Paige has been doing undercover work for almost all her life spent in the secret agency. However, protecting Emily was a first because she was normally given assignments to escort V. to special occasions, collect intel on suspected criminals, track down wanted criminals, etcetera. She had not experienced having to protect someone close to her age and also, having to be by their side around the clock.

"So you're telling me that.. you are a secret agent.. with gadgets and all that cool equipment you see in the movies?" Emily asked, furrowing her brows while clarifying before making any conclusions. Paige simply nodded her head once, as she looked at the brunette sitting cross-legged on the bed.

"And.. You're on a mission to protect me?" Emily asked doubtfully, her mind clicking back to Paige being on the alert of her surroundings even when she looked calm.

"Yeah." Paige said with another nod, "Well, now that we're done with 20 questions, I think we should get some rest. We're leaving this place tomorrow morning." She added after a beat, standing up from her chair.

"Woah, hold on a sec! I'm not buying your story. Of all the spy movies I've watched, no secret agent goes around telling people that, oh i don't know.. they're a secret agent themselves?!" Emily said ironically, "Isn't that why they use the term _secret_?" Emily mocked, causing Paige to sigh frustratedly.

_This is gonna be a long night.._ Paige thought, returning back to her seat.

* * *

The lights were switched off and the room became dark. Rays of moonlight peeked through the gaps of the window blinds and only the faint sound of crickets chirping outside filled the room. Emily was curled up in bed, blanket over her and she was having difficulties sleeping. Her mind was in turmoil about the whole day and Emily still had so many questions about the auburn hair girl sleeping on the couch facing her.

_Paige McCullers._

She looked peaceful, head snuggled into the pillow with one arm hanging out. Emily took the opportunity to study Paige's features, not afraid of getting caught for staring. The moonlight illuminated the girl's pale skin, bringing out the best of her facial features. Paige's hair was a disheveled shoulder length style, currently sprawled across the pillow. She had changed out of her casual clothing and wore an oversized t-shirt with a pair of boy boxers.

Since it was the start of autumn, the temperature was perfect for sleeping with just the ceiling fan turned on. The wind from the fan caused Paige's hair to tousle and become slightly more disheveled; Emily actually appreciating the sight. She never thought anyone would look good while sleeping, especially when their hair was getting out of control. Paige looked kinda hot...

_Wait, what? What the heck are you thinking Emily?!_ she thought to herself, shaking her head vigorously in disbelief. Maybe Emily felt lonely, leading her to have inappropriate thoughts.

_That must be it._ Emily considered, making sense of what was going on in her mind. She didn't even know the girl for heaven's sake. Emily dismissed that thought immediately and stared blankly into space.

Emily actually enjoyed Paige's company even though they didn't really get along at first. Not having parents to come home to everyday was saddening. She even distanced herself from her friends, not wanting to be too close just in case, but she still kept in touch with them through occasional calls and texts.

Probably another reason why Emily couldn't fall asleep was due to the fact that she wasn't going to be alone anymore. The assurance of Paige being with her from now on actually made her feel comforted, but Emily chose to ignore that feeling earlier on, confusion overpowering it instead.

Sure, Paige was someone Emily didn't know and sure, Paige may be making up stories just to cover up her real reasons of following Emily, but the thought and sight of an actual being in the same room as Emily felt warm and pleasant. Maybe Emily might as well buy Paige's story, truth or not.

With that, Emily's lids grew heavy and she fell into deep slumber with a small smile appearing on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

After millions of years, chapter three is finally out. (And so is locum tenens after a week.)

First of all, SORRY for the extremely late update. I didn't want to look like I disappeared from the face of the Earth or anything, but everything's been a blur lately so.. Yeah /:

Hope you'll like this chapter, although I think I'm moving too slow. So, review! Comment! Let me know what I'm doing wrong or stuff like that:)

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Three

Emily stirred from sleep, the sound of footsteps reaching her ears. She lifted her head slightly, seeing Paige in the midst of pulling a sweatshirt over her head. Emily quickly looked away, feeling like she was invading the auburn hair girl's privacy. She looked back again; Paige facing her this time with her hands in the pockets of the sweatshirt she wore.

"Rise and shine. Go freshen up, we're leaving this place." Paige ordered emotionlessly, walking from the foot of the bed over to the couch where she had slept on last night. Paige slumped onto the couch, about to reach over and grab a magazine from the table in front until she felt Emily's eyes on her. She froze as she slowly looked up at Emily who was currently perched at the edge of the bed, quickly averting her eyes back to the magazine. Emily wore a loose shirt where the collar hung at both ends of her shoulders, exposing her collar bone and smooth skin there. Despite just waking up, Emily looked gorgeous with her tousled hair.

"Well, good morning to you too." Emily said, sounding rather sarcastic since Paige was being unfriendly with her words. She sighed, not wanting to have a bad start in the morning; not wanting to argue.. If she could call it that. "Give me 10 minutes." She added, standing up and making her way towards the closet. After fishing out a pair of jeans and tank top, Emily headed towards the toilet.

When Paige heard the door of the bathroom click shut, she immediately fell back onto the couch; staring at the ceiling. Paige wanted to take back what she said, chastising herself for the way she spoke to Emily. She really wanted to befriend Emily, but Paige was afraid.

She felt exhausted from having to show a more solemn character around Emily, wanting to maintain her reputation now that the brunette knew about her profession.

Paige was not really bothered by Emily believing her or not; having just shrugged her off when she kept asking Paige so many questions. As far as the mission was concerned, Paige had to be with Emily and nothing else ought to matter.

_Dammit.._

Paige let out a long sigh, thinking that the mission may be harder than it seemed; and she haven't even met the enemy yet. She sat up, knowing that attempting to read a magazine won't help clear her head and decided to go out to get some coffee. Paige placed the magazine back and left the room.

The cool autumn breeze hit her face the moment she opened the door. Paige shivered slightly, hoping that she wouldn't need to go far for a cup of coffee. So happened, there was a vending machine along the corridor outside of Emily's room. The vending machine sold hot and cold beverages like coffee and soda, having limited choices of each. Paige deposited a few coins into the machine; a paper cup appearing shortly after with a stream of coffee filling it up. When the green light lit up signaling that the coffee was ready, Paige took the cup and inhaled the aroma of caffeine; enjoying the warmth enveloping her hands. She stood in front of the vending machine for a moment, contemplating whether or not to buy Emily a cup.

_What if she doesn't like coffee? _Paige pondered. She ignored that thought and bought the coffee for Emily in the end; prepared to drink another cup if Emily really wasn't fond of coffee or of this choice.

When Paige re-entered the motel room, she almost wanted to retreat back out immediately. Her eyes fell on a halfway-changing-Emily whom is currently in her jeans.. and bra. Emily was drying her hair with a towel, her back facing Paige and was unaware about the girl's presence. Paige stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do (or say) next; her grip on the two cups of coffee almost slipping as she tried to function her brain. She felt like she should turn away and that it was wrong of her to continue staring, but Paige knew that she was over thinking things; getting flustered was being abnormal for crying out loud.

Emily turned around instantly when she heard the door close with a thud. She looked at Paige who was already placing the two cups of coffee on the table and, within a flash, sat on the couch once again with the magazine up in her face. Emily let the towel drape over her neck as she walked closer to the girl who, in the moment, seemed extremely engrossed in the magazine.

"Is this coffee for me?" Emily asked, pointing at one of the cups on the table. Paige simply nodded without looking up from the magazine, giving her silent permission to drink her coffee and put a damn shirt on. Emily's face was etched with confusion towards the girl's behaviour, bending forward to grab her cup of coffee.

"Thanks Paige. How much do I pay you?" She said, taking a sip of the caffeine. Paige simply waved her off, never looking up from the magazine article that was currently a blur. Emily gave up on talking to the girl and went back to drying her hair.

Paige didn't realize it before, but the thumping beat of her heart started to grasp her attention as it got faster from the sound of her name coming out of Emily's mouth. She gulped, risking a glance at Emily but caught the girl's gaze instead. Paige went into panic mode but managed to hold Emily's gaze for awhile; long enough to look completely normal before returning her attention back to the magazine.

Emily could feel the warmth creeping up her neck when Paige caught her staring. She quickly looked away feeling nervous. She didn't mean to stare; she was just admiring how Paige looked attractive in her messy auburn hair, pastel red sweatshirt and ripped grey jeans.

Emily placed her towel aside once she felt that her hair was no longer dripping wet; finally taking notice of where her army green tank top was at. It wasn't on her body where it was supposed to be. The tank top was placed on top of the bed, staring back at her. Emily felt her jaw hit the ground as she finally realised that she was still in her bra, exposed to Paige. She chastised herself inwardly for being so careless and at the same time, wondered why Paige didn't say anything. The mahogany coloured hair girl probably thought that it was no big deal and that Emily didn't have anything to worry about. They are both girls after all. **Lesbian** girls. That thought got Emily forming a few more questions in her head as she slipped on her tank top hurriedly, getting ready to leave.

After placing Emily's luggages in the trunk of her car, Paige got into the driver's seat with Emily getting into the passenger's seat.

"So.. Where are we going?" Emily asked after buckling her seat belt, turning her head to look at Paige.

"Eat lunch. Or should I say brunch? Anyway, what do you feel like eating?" Paige said, her eyes looking ahead as she drove out of the parking lot.

"I'm fine with anything. Why? Are you treating me?" Emily said playfully in an attempt to lighten the mood. Being around Paige felt a little tense; the auburn haired girl was seemingly formal in almost everything she did.

Paige glanced at Emily, taking in her wavy hair cascading down her shoulders. Shoulders that were only covered with the straps of her black bra and green tank top.

_It's the beginning of autumn. Who wears a tank top during the beginning of autumn?!_ Paige thought incredulously, praying that Emily would just put on her jacket. She sighed, cranking the heat up in the car and shifting her eyes back to the road.

"No. We're not on a date or anything. I mean, are you alright with Italian?" Paige asked, feeling her face flush and mentally blamed it on the heat warming up the car.

"Yes, I love Italian food!" Emily cheerily announced. "Did you already know that from all of your secret resources?" She added after a beat, becoming curious about how Paige's suggestion was so spot on.

"Nope. That was just.. a lucky guess." Paige said slowly, thinking about how she had forgotten Emily's data and said that bit of info out of pure nonchalance. She couldn't have forgotten Emily's background information.

_What the heck? _Paige thought, wrecking her brain to recall what she knew.

_Why can't I remember?! _Paige was almost hyperventilating. She couldn't screw this mission up and she can't request for another set of files containing Emily's biography; the secret agency would definitely replace her (talk about strict). The set she got was burnt into ashes last night while Emily was asleep, and now Paige was having difficulties remembering what she read in those files. After attaining all the info and burning the files, Paige didn't think about them until now. But that couldn't have possibly made her forget everything.

_Short-term memory? No, that can't be it.._

Emily was sitting quietly beside her, completely oblivious to Paige's inner turmoil.

When she caught sight of an italian bistro along the street, Paige immediately drove into the first parking space she could find and turned the engine off. She couldn't focus on retracing her steps if she was driving, that being unimportant if she got them into any accident.

Emily grabbed her black leather jacket from the backseat and threw it on before getting out of the car. _Finally.. _Paige thought, relieved that Emily's shoulders won't be distracting her.

The small bell chimed as Paige pushed open the door, walking into the bistro with Emily following behind. They settled into a couples seat that was at a corner, away from the crowd. The circular table was a bit small, causing Paige and Emily's legs to brush against each other slightly.

Emily shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid contact with Paige's legs as much as possible. She took the menu and looked through it, clearing her throat, she asked, "What do you feel like having, Paige?" looking up from the menu when the girl didn't respond; seeing Paige deep in thought. Emily cleared her throat again, slightly louder this time as she tried bringing Paige out of her own world.

Paige thought about her whole morning routine today. She woke up early at dawn, brushed her teeth, went for a quick jog, (unable to risk leaving Emily alone for too long, especially when she's asleep no less.) got back and took a shower. Afterwards, she changed and waited for Emily to wake. Nothing unusual. She went out and got some coffee. That was it.

_What in the world happened to me that made me forget?_

"Hello? Earth to Paige. Paige!" Paige was snapped out of her thoughts as she caught Emily's gaze on her. Emily had a mix of annoyance and concern written all over her face as she looked into Paige's deep brown eyes. Paige continued to stare back as a conclusion formed in her brain. Somehow, staring into Emily's dark brown orbs helped her thoughts flow smoothly this time. Emily felt herself getting flustered and was about to drop her gaze when Paige suddenly clapped her hands. She widened her eyes at Paige, immediately bewildered.

"That must be it!" Paige practically shouted, causing a few pair of eyes to land on her and Emily. She quickly composed herself and while the raven haired girl was rambling on with questions and demands for explanations, Paige interjected and explained herself.

"I'm sorry. I got a little carried away.. Just discovered something." Paige said vaguely, taking a deep breath before continuing her explanation about the files and all the info lost. Memory lost. The only plausible justification was that before Paige hit the hay last night, someone must've swapped her sleeping pills for some memory-lost drugs. She did feel a tinge disoriented; sleep being the only thing she longed for. And now that Paige thought about it, her usual sleeping pills never did take effect that instantaneously. But of all things, why did she only forget Emily's biography? It aroused her curiosity further as Paige could remember the criminal target, Ray Reynolds. *Strange..*

* * *

In an undetectable space not so far away, darkness covered the surroundings completely. The only light that shone came from a laptop. Scrolling through an endless stream of words on the laptop, it stopped scrolling at one point. The sudden slamming of the laptop shut caused vibrations to send some pens to drop onto the floor. The table was in a mess, papers and stationeries scattered everywhere. Now, there was no light at all. A forceful grasp on the laptop caused the outside to crack. A heavy breathing filled the silence that followed. Bloodshot eyes snapped open and they were so red, you could almost see them as they illuminated in the dark.

"Fuck." A low and rough voice cursed.

"What a fucking stupid mistake!" The voice rumbled through the dense air, followed by the laptop flying and crashing into the wall. The mistake was in the drugs made and apparently, someone got the wrong recipe. The drug was aimed to erase all info of himself from Paige's brain. However, with a slight change in order of ingredients, Paige ended up forgetting the wrong things.

"Paige McCullers. Next time, I'm not gonna try and erase your memory of me. I'll just blow your fucking head off." Ray scowled.

* * *

After making things clear with Emily, the raven haired girl had to blink a few times while processing all the news she had just heard. Paige is a real undercover spy; she wasn't lying about it and she knows that Emily is in peril. A huge sense of fear dawned upon her, knowing that she's in much more danger than it seemed. There was a high chance that last night while the two girls were asleep and at their most vulnerable, America's most wanted criminal, Ray Reynolds, could've snuck into their room and did the predictable. Murder.

"So you know about how Ray and I are connected?!" Emily said loud enough for Paige to hear, aware that what they're talking about is restricted to others. She looked around before leaning closer to Paige's face, hoping that she wouldn't need to whisper any louder. "Why didn't you say anything about him before? I would've gladly followed you yesterday, but no. You made me think that you're some pretty face stalker that's crazy and stalks people up close." She added mockingly. Emily tried to retain her neutral expression, but bringing her face closer to Paige's was a bad move. Paige's face is flawless, her big round eyes are entrancing and her button nose is undeniably cute. She managed to stop her eyes from wandering any lower, not knowing what the sight of Paige's lips could do to her. Emily could feel warmth creep onto her cheeks and she couldn't think straight. Pun intended.

"In my defense, I could've scared you off. Anyway, it doesn't matter right now. But pretty face stalker? Seriously?" Paige said coolly, raising an eyebrow in slight disbelief to make her point. Emily couldn't help but smile at this, looking a tad embarrassed.

"It's true.." Emily mumbled to herself as she looked down at the table, clearly forgetting about their close proximity. However, Paige obviously heard her and she felt flustered at the unintended compliment. Before she could say anything though, Emily's head shot up and stared at her wide-eyed. "Shit. Did I just say that?" Paige nodded. "I-I.. Err... I was thinking of s-something else!" Emily fumbled with her words, only to come up with some lame excuse. "Sorry." She added, her face burning in embarrassment.

"Relax, it's fine. You have a pretty face yourself." Paige managed to say nonchalantly despite how nervous she felt. She gave Emily a small smile once the tanned girl appeared calm.

"Who are you? Really." Emily said softly after a long pause. Her expression was much softer now; grateful that even though Paige caught her small slip up, she dismissed it like it was nothing and even told Emily she was pretty. In a way.

"I am what I am. Everything i told you about myself is the truth. I would never lie to you. You have to trust me. Just trust me." Paige repeated for emphasize, looking directly into Emily's dark brown eyes. Emily nodded her head slowly, as if she had just been hypnotized by Paige's entrancing, big eyes.

Emily couldn't see Paige as some newbie at a strip club that she gave a lap dance to anymore. She had to see Paige as an undercover secret agent that is out to fight crime and track down criminals... and that she gave a lap dance to.

_So much for first impressions. If I had known she is some important person, I would've avoided her and made myself more presentable first._ Emily thought with a frustrated sigh.

They ordered their food and made small talk while waiting. Emily asked about the sleeping pills and why Paige couldn't sleep last night. The fair-skinned girl wouldn't tell, so she just went with the 'the couch was not comfortable' reason. Paige didn't want to weird out Emily, but her reason for not being able to sleep last night was because of how perfect Emily looked when she slept. She could stare at her peaceful expression all night and admit to being a creep. Emily on the other hand didn't admit to Paige about her own sleepless night, but it was just because of excitement due to the new company.

Their orders came shortly after, Emily having the Spaghetti Bolognese while Paige had the Vegetarian Lasagna.

"Are you a vegetarian?" Emily asked lightly, curious about the spy seated opposite.

"No. Just felt like saving some cows today." Paige said casually with a straight face, laying her tablecloth onto her lap. She grinned when she heard Emily burst with laughter. The raven haired beauty was trying to stifle that laughter before replying.

"Wow, you take your job really seriously huh? Saving humans **and** animals? I'm impressed." Emily quipped back, smirking at Paige. Paige bowed her head dramatically, laughing quietly to herself.

_This is nice.. But know the limit McCullers. _she reminded herself.

They ate their food in comfortable silence, well, on Emily's side it was. On Paige's side however, it felt awkward. Not due to the silence, but the setting she was in right now. A cozy Italian Bistro on a breezy day, seated at a couples seat with an extremely astonishing woman who looked way beyond pretty. It almost felt like a date and Paige couldn't help but give in to that thought.

_Stop it. Don't look at it that way! This is NOT a date. This is just a simple brunch. Lunch. Whatever, with a..a.._ That thought got Paige thinking about where she stood with Emily. Are they friends? Can she even **be** Emily's friend? Befriending Emily is nothing sexual, she wouldn't be breaking any rules for that; it'll just be terrifying.

"We're just friends." Paige concluded, saying it more to herself than to anyone out of wild unthinking. Emily looked up from her spaghetti and swallowed her mouthful of food before speaking.

"Excuse me? Since when did I imply that we're together?" furrowing her brows as she waited to hear Paige's answer.

"Oh. No! I didn't mean it like that. It just came out wrong. What I meant to say is.. are we friends?" Paige said tentatively, cursing her mouth for speaking her thoughts. Emily's face softened again, a grin slowly appearing as she said, "Yeah, sounds good." Paige smiled back at her and Emily continued eating her meal.

Paige looked at Emily a little longer as her smile faded. She felt a hint of sadness from Emily's reaction towards the thought of them being together.

_Of course she would've reacted that way. You barely even know her, don't be too full of yourself Paige._ reprimanding herself mentally. She had to stop thinking about the girl seated in front of her, it was too much and she just can't.

Emily kept glancing at Paige subtly, her own thoughts eating her insides. She felt bad for how she responded. At first, she thought she responded that way because she was supposed to respond that way. _I mean, of course we're just friends. You don't have to actually say it out loud and assume that I thought otherwise_. Then she started to feel regret when realization hit her. The real reason for her response is because she was disappointed. She now knew what Paige saw them as. Just friends. It sounded like that's all she wants to be with Emily. She looked at Paige longer this time, convincing herself that that's what she wanted to.

Paige looked up from her half eaten lasagna, feeling the tanned girl's eyes on her and returned her gaze. At that point, both girls saw flashes of sorrow in each other's eyes. Emily quickly looked away, feeling shy under Paige's gaze. Her shyness grew when she looked up and saw Paige still staring at her.

"Is there something on my face?" Emily asked, giving Paige an excuse for staring and wanting to avoid feeling awkward.

"Yeah, you got some tomato sauce here." Paige pointed to the right corner of her mouth to elaborate her point. She was thankful that Emily said something and that she said the right thing because there really was something on her mouth. She chuckled when Emily wiped at the left side of her mouth and was missing the spot completely. "Here allow me." Paige offered, taking her napkin. She swatted Emily's hands away and wiped her mouth. While doing so, her thumb slightly grazed along Emily's bottom lip. Emily felt her heart beat quicken at the small action being sweet and at the accidental action being surprising. Paige froze there for a second too long and retracted her hand quickly after her senses came back. The stream of idle chatter was drowned out by the sound of Paige's heart beating wildly against her chest.

"Tough stain." Paige joked, earning a giggle from the tanned girl. She managed to hide how jittery she felt, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips from hearing Emily's laughter again. She took a mental note to make Emily laugh more often, being music to her ears. The sensation of Emily's soft lips on her thumb made her smile become a sheepish one as she ducked her head.

"Thanks." Emily said, smiling back at Paige. She thought about how cute the fair-skinned girl was when she wasn't showing off the cool secret agent side of her. She liked this side of Paige and wondered how many more sides are there. With that thought, both girls went back to enjoying their Italian meal with small chat and glances every now and then.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey! Thanks for the reviews/faves/follows. Really appreciate it and it keeps me going. Hopefully this is a good chapter for you guys because yes, I took really long to update again (though not as long as the previous chapter..), but I kinda like this one. It's my version of a filler I guess. Before I come up with some real stuff;) hahaha.

To one of the guest reviewer- I don't know if I managed to follow the writing style in chapter 1.. But hopefully you'll still like my change:) I didn't even know I changed. Haha.

On to the story, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Four

"So where are we going now?" Emily asked, looking around to see where Paige was driving them.

After their lunch at the Italian Bistro, both girls paid for their individual meals and left, jumping right back into the car to continue their journey. Paige followed orders to bring Emily to her new home. She needed to complete some of her tasks the agency had assigned to her, and one of them involved situating Emily in a more permanent home. The poor girl have been moving from motels to motels ever since she sold off her parents' home for the need of more cash. The place was located along the outskirts of Rosewood, near farm houses and lakes; a quiet and secluded area that's surrounded by towering trees and stretches of fields.

"To your new cabin." Paige replied, causing Emily to raise an eyebrow in question.

"MY new cabin?" Emily clarified, unable to believe what the auburn haired girl just said.

"Yup. Here are the property documents. You just have to sign here and everything else would be taken care of." Paige said after pulling out the paper work from the side compartment of her car. She handed Emily the papers and a pen with one hand on the steering wheel, pointing at the spot on the paper where her signature was required. She glanced at Emily looking intently at the forms before concentrating on the road again, but the road was vacant and there wasn't much to look out for but the signs and more trees.

"Are you sure you're a secret agent? You got me a new place to live in without me paying a single cent. You're more like my fairy godmother!" Emily joked, incredulous as it was all too good to be true. Paige simply smiled back at the beaming girl, feeling the warmth grow in her chest.

"Well, the company I'm from is kinda rich and since no one has ever seen the big boss, maybe he or she is a fairy godparent in disguise." Paige quipped, earning a light laughter from the raven beauty that made her heart soar. _This is good enough. _Paige thought, basking in what they shared.

The drive to the cabin didn't take too long, both girls enjoying the panoramic views of the green fields and hills. The sky was blue with white fluffy clouds everywhere, but that was all for the morning. When noon came, dark clouds swept in, accompanied by flickers of lightning and thunder rumbling.

"Looks like a storm's approaching." Emily noted, her hands fiddling with the seat belt. Paige looked up at the sky just as another flash of lightning filled the grey clouds. She shifted the gear to drive faster, her pulse increasing as she gripped the wheel firmly.

"Yeah.. A huge one from the looks of it." Paige said, trying to hide the anxiousness in her voice. Tiny drops of water falling from the sky soon turned into bigger raindrops as time passed.

"Do you mind if I crank up the volume? I really like this song." Emily hurriedly added when Paige gave her a questioning look. The music currently playing from the stereo was some unknown heavy metal song and Paige never pegged the girl to have this kind of taste in music.

"Not at all." Paige said, before adding more pressure to the pedal. "You don't look like a big fan of heavy metal." She continued, stealing a few glances at Emily to study her face. The raven haired girl just wore a neutral expression as she reached for the knob to adjust the volume. Emily turned it till the music was loud enough to drown out the sound of the engine before looking at the spy.

"There are many things you don't know about -" Emily was cut short when a sudden flash of lightning, followed shortly by a clap of thunder, filled the atmosphere. The music was overpowered and the thunder was so unexpected that Emily didn't manage to stifle her shriek. Surprisingly, it was accompanied by Paige's own shriek as well. The car swerved for a brief moment before driving straight again. Emily stared at Paige with wide eyes, trying to control the laugh she wanted to let out. Paige looked like she just went through a haunted house, frightened and almost shaking; the hair on her back visibly standing up. Her grip on the wheel tightened so much that her knuckles turned ghostly white.

"You're afraid of thunder?" Emily asked, becoming serious when Paige took a few shaky breaths to compose herself. "Hey, it's alright. I'm scared of them too. And you're right, I don't listen to heavy metal. I was just hoping it could've drowned out the thunder." Emily admitted, giving Paige a sheepish grin when the girl finally looked at her. She felt her pulse race when Paige's eyes met hers, thinking that it was due to the shock she got from the thunder earlier on.

"Thank you." Paige said earnestly, feeling more relaxed as her eyes gazed at Emily's chocolate ones. "For telling me that. I know it's not easy to reveal one's fears." She added before Emily could ask 'what for'. She gave Emily a grateful smile, feeling relief when she caught sight of the cabin amidst the rain.

The rain was pouring heavily once Paige drove into the driveway and parked. She cursed under her breath when she remembered that the umbrellas were kept in the trunk, letting Emily know that they were going to get wet. Emily sheltered her head with her jacket while Paige pulled her hoody up, both girls moving swiftly out of the car and making a dash towards the front porch of the cabin. The rain was beating down so hard, the short distance from the car to the porch was almost not visible. This caused them to walk warily but quickly, the rain soaking them to the bone; clothes sticking to their skin. By the time the girls got to the sheltered front porch, they were completely drenched and cold as Paige jabbed the keys into the keyhole, unlocking the door.

"I'll bring your bags in when the rain lets up." Paige offered, locking the door behind her after switching the lights on. Emily nodded wordlessly, taking in every inch of the living room in awe.

The interior design of the cabin was spacious yet cozy with simple arrangements of basic furniture and almost everything provided. They were currently standing in the living room where there's a "L" shaped couch set next to a flight of stairs, a flat screen television mounted on the wall above the fireplace; a coffee table in between the fireplace and the couch, and a doorway leading to another room which was assumed to be the kitchen. A tribal patterned carpet was placed under the coffee table and the flooring was a smooth woody texture, giving the whole cabin a more nature feel.

"You might wanna change out of those clothes. Don't want you catching a cold." Paige said to the awe struck girl sauntering around the room. Emily brought her attention back to the spy, her body suddenly feeling flushed despite being cold from the rain. Paige was out of her soaking red hoodie and now in her white V neck shirt which she wore underneath, unfortunately, also soaked.

_Or should I say fortunately?_ Emily thought, appreciating the sight of the white shirt clinging to Paige's skin, revealing a hint of the agent's toned stomach through the shirt. Paige blushed under Emily's blatant stare and the sight of the raven beauty in her soaked tank top and jeans made her blush turn several shades of red. Emily tore her eyes away from Paige's toned figure and met her eyes instead. She felt her face heat up from getting caught for staring, again. Paige cleared her throat to fill the awkward silence, moving to the laundry room to get a basket for their wet clothes. When the auburn haired girl disappeared through the doorway, Emily let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She shook her head and reprimanded herself for making Paige feel uncomfortable, not wanting to rub off as a pervert. When Paige returned with a laundry basket to the kitchen, she saw the tanned girl scanning through the setup; from the fridge to the shelves, to the small dining table beside a window.

"Erm.. Allow me to show you where the bathroom is. You should take the first shower." Paige said, forcing her voice to sound indifferent when their eyes met again. "Okay." Emily replied before following the fair skinned girl out and up the stairs. There were four rooms along the hallway, one of them being the bathroom when Paige led Emily to it.

"All the necessary toiletries, toothbrushes and towels are inside already. Don't worry, they're all new. The only thing you need now is a change of clothes. Wait here." Paige told the girl, making her way towards one of the rooms. Emily stood there patiently, leaning forward to try and see the insides of the room Paige just went into. The secret agent seemed to know her way around the cabin; probably not her first time being here. Paige reappeared shortly, walking towards Emily with a fresh set of clothes in her hands.

"Here. You can wear my clothes in the meantime. We're the same size so it'll fit. Or would you prefer something else?" Paige asked hesitantly, trying to gage the tanned girl's expression.

"No, this is fine. Thanks" Emily replied softly, giving Paige a grateful smile as she took the clothes from her. "And by the way, I don't think we're the same size." she added playfully, tilting her head to look at the top of Paige's head for emphasize.

"Oh really?" Paige said, playing along with whatever Emily was at. She closed the distance with Emily, taking a step closer and bringing her hand to the top of the tanned girl's head. Paige felt her breathing grow shallow when she realised that her mouth was in line with Emily's cute nose. She leveled her hand on the smaller girl's head and brought it to her own forehead, measuring how much taller she is.

"Not much difference. But then again, size and height are two different things." Paige said, trying to make a joke out of it but laughed nervously instead when Emily just stared at her. The proximity was too much for Paige, and Emily looking straight into her eyes wasn't making anything better. Paige shifted anxiously under Emily's gaze, trying to come up with something to say to break the silence, but it was hard to do so with those soft chocolate eyes looking into your soul. Suddenly, Paige became aware of Emily's face moving in closer to hers.

"I'll leave you to have your shower then." Paige blurted, turning away from Emily abruptly and hastily walked down the stairs. Emily stood still for awhile, face bright red, processing what just happened. She was so lost in Paige's deep brown eyes, she needed to look away. When Emily shifted her gaze and brought it lower, it was a big mistake because her eyes landed onto Paige's thin pink lips. She fought every urge to touch those soft looking lips, hypnotized by them and giving in to their magnetic pull. "What is wrong with me." Emily muttered, feeling ashamed of herself. The raven beauty barely knew the secret spy, yet she felt an undeniable connection between them. Emily sighed, locking the bathroom door behind her before stripping down for her bath.

* * *

The sound of pelting rain against the rooftop and glass windows, followed by the occasional roar of thunders, kept Paige curled up at one end of the couch. After the girls took turns to bathe, Paige gave Emily a short tour around her new cabin, showing the smaller girl where the essentials were being kept; what each rooms are for, and the various keys for which door. After the mini tour, Paige decided to set up the fireplace and do some paperwork on the couch while Emily went to the kitchen to make them a cup of hot chocolate each. When Emily entered the living room, two hot cups of cocoa in each hand, she saw Paige seated at the right end of the couch with her legs curled beneath her. The spy had a serious expression on her face as she scribbled on some papers, placing them onto the coffee table and picking up another piece to read through before scribbling on it again. Emily walked over to the couch quietly, making sure she sat at the other end to put some distance between the auburn haired girl and herself. She carefully leaned over to put the cups down onto the coffee table, allowing them to cool a bit.

"Thanks." Paige said, glancing up at Emily with a small smile before bending over to take a cup.

"Careful, it's hot." Emily warned as she watched the fair skinned girl bring the cup to her lips, blowing the hot liquid gently before sipping tentatively on it. Emily took the opportunity to admire Paige's exquisite features, the blush of pink on her cheeks from the warmth making her skin glow. The fire dancing in the fireplace casted shadows onto the spy's face, bringing out her jawline that Emily found really sexy. She hurriedly looked away when Paige returned her cup back onto the table and resumed her paperwork. It wasn't the time to have a conversation with the auburn haired girl, seeing how focused she was on doing her assignments, so Emily decided to familiarize herself with the place. She got up and wandered upstairs without a word, not wanting to disturb Paige; switching the lights on in the hall as it was dark due to the thunderstorm.  
Emily went into the room across the bathroom first. It was a simple looking space with baby blue coloured walls and the same wooden flooring. There was a long table against the wall at the side with drawers, three chairs arranged neatly along it and an empty shelve at the other end of the room with a window centered on the wall. There wasn't much in here, Emily remembering that this was a work space for them. She moved on to the next room which was Paige's bedroom, opposite from hers. During the tour earlier on, Paige showed Emily to her room which was beside the bathroom. Emily wasn't thinking too much about privacy, having just moved in so she continued exploring Paige's room. The rooms were all quite similar, having the same coloured walls and floor texture. Like her own bedroom, Paige's room had a twin sized bed in the middle with a cabinet beside it; a closet to keep her clothes at the side with a full length mirror beside it, and a small window with checkered grey curtains facing the woods. However, Emily's room had a balcony facing the lake on the other side instead. To her surprise, Paige already did up her room; closet filled with clothes and personal belongings in and on top the cabinet. The secret agent didn't bother to decorate her room, leaving the walls free of posters or anything like that. Emily knew she shouldn't be snooping around, but something caught her attention that made her stop from leaving the spy's room. She spotted Paige's wallet on top of the cabinet and looked around cautiously before taking it, curious to see the girl's identity just to make sure she wasn't living with a psychopath who thinks of herself as a secret agent.

"Like they always say, better safe than sorry." Emily advised herself. _Even though the stranger is really attractive._ she continued in thought, opening Paige's wallet. When Emily was done studying Paige's ID cards, she was relieved to know that the girl wasn't lying about her occupation and that she was in fact a normal human being like everybody else. Satisfied, Emily placed the wallet back in it's original position before turning to leave.

A sudden flash of lightning lit up the whole room, causing Emily to freeze and almost jump out of her skin when she saw Paige standing at the door frame, frozen as well. Before the expected thunder could sound, Paige ran towards Emily and wrapped her arms around the girl, burying her face into the crook of Emily's neck. The movement was so sudden that Emily didn't have time to react, wanting to scream because she was shocked by Paige's sudden appearance and at the same time, wanting to breathe because she couldn't at the moment with Paige hugging the life out of her. When the thunder finally clapped, it wasn't as loud as expected. Emily giggled lightly at how adorable Paige was, almost like a frightened puppy looking for comfort. Paige lifted her head slowly, loosening her arms still wrapped around Emily's body. Their faces were mere inches apart, breaths mixing together. Another clap of thunder filled the silence, this time louder than before, causing Emily to grip onto Paige's back; leaning her head into the taller girl's chest. The thunder didn't matter anymore, for what Emily was listening to was much louder than that. It was the thumping sound of Paige's heart beating so fast, it could beat right out of her chest.

"Sorry about that.." Paige mumbled, letting go of Emily before taking a step back. "I wish I could say I did that because I know you're afraid of thunder and I wanted to be the hero.. But we both know I'd be lying." Paige tried to make a joke out of it, hoping to decrease the tension between them.

"Don't worry about it. It was nothing wrong." Emily said timidly before looking at the ground, not wanting to reveal her flushed cheeks to Paige.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Paige inquired, pretending to look pass the whole event.

"I was just familiarizing myself around here." Emily half lied, although it was the initial truth. Her intentions became more than **just** familiarizing once she opened the spy's wallet.

"Oh okay. I'll be downstairs if you need me. Maybe whip up something to snack on." Paige said casually. "You can come down after you're done inspecting my wallet by the way." She added in the same casual tone, giving Emily a knowing look. Before the girl could justify herself and ask Paige why she came here in the first place, the spy turned to leave without another word. Emily watched Paige's retreating back, deciding to forego whatever explanation and leave it as it was. _It's not as if I stole her money or anything. _Emily thought, mentally rolling her eyes.

A faint resonant chime brought Emily's attention to her own bedroom. She briskly walked over and detected the source, spotting her cellphone on the pillow. The raven haired girl tossed it there after her bath earlier on, having no intentions of carrying it around. The screen lit up with Emily's best friend's face, smiling to herself as she answered the call.

"Hey Hanna."

"Hey Em! How are you? Everything alright?" Hanna asked through the line, voice with a trace of concern. Emily understood where the blonde was coming from, thankful for it but not wanting to make a big fuss about it.

"I'm good, thanks. Yeah everything's fine. What about you?" Emily replied, settling on her bed.

"I'm good too. Everything's.. you know, the usual. Boring." Hanna huffed, causing Emily to chuckle quietly to herself. Occasionally, Emily and her friends would text or talk on the phone, but the girl never thought about meeting up with them; living in constant fear of what might happen if she were to be seen outside with someone she cares about. Her friends didn't mind though, thinking that Emily's just going through a rough time due to her parents' death. The pair continued with small talk till Emily decided to tell Hanna about Paige.

Despite staying away from her friends for their own safety, the bonds between all of them never broke. Hanna was the only one who knew the whole story in Emily's dreadful situation among her three closest friends.

"Oh my god. This is so cool, Em!" Hanna squealed with delight. "This Paige girl sounds like your personal bodyguard. I want details. Is she cute?" She asked with a cheeky grin that could be heard in her voice, oblivious to the fact that it made Emily's face flush.

"She's okay I guess. But it doesn't matter-"

"Yes it does! I mean, you mentioned she's gay right?" Hanna cut Emily off with her insistency.

"Well yeah.. But I-"

"No 'but's! Describe her to me and tell me everything." Hanna eagerly demanded, leaving Emily with no other choice or chance to avoid the topic.

"Hanna..." Emily sighed exhaustedly, not willing to give away the truth about her growing attraction to Paige. "This isn't all fun and games you know."

"Come on, Em. This is all so new and unreal. Almost like a fairy tale. Maybe now whenever I go back to Rosewood, i can actually visit you in the flesh." Hanna reasoned out, prompting Emily to consider the idea.

"True.." Emily agreed, giving in. "I'd love to meet up. It should be safer now." She added with a tinge of doubt in her voice.

"Great! I'll let you know when I'm stopping by. Maybe during the winter break with Spencer and Aria? I'll text you my plans later." Hanna said, excitement ascending in her voice. "And now, descriptions please?" she added after a beat, not forgetting her question. She laughed when Emily's grunt sounded through the phone.

Emily didn't even know where to begin. She just wanted Hanna to come now and meet Paige instead. Maybe even get Spencer and Aria to meet her. There was something about the secret agent that was intriguing, but Emily couldn't put her finger on what it was exactly. Was it caused by her growing attraction to Paige?

_What am I thinking?! Of course not. There is NO attraction alright. She's just someone new with a rare occupation. Of course you'd take interest in her. _Emily reasonably thought to herself, as she told Hanna ordinary descriptions of Paige. Obviously she wanted more than just the normal descriptions, but Emily had to stop there.

Emily and her close friends since high school are young adults now, fending themselves in the competitive world. Hanna went to New York with her boyfriend, Caleb, to complete her course in Fashion Design. Spencer was still in Rosewood taking her degree in Law, while Aria was doing a Teaching course and living with Ezra in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The four best friends may be separated, but they can always count on each other.

"Hey."

Emily looked towards her room door, seeing Paige leaning against the wooden door frame. She had just got off the phone with Hanna after saying their goodbyes and well wishes.

"Hey. I was just on the phone with a friend." Emily said, taking in what Paige was wearing. She wore a loose long sleeved white t-shirt, where the collar dips low but not enough to show cleavage; black cotton track pants that were loose around her ankles but fitting around her hips. Paige's hair was as disheveled as it was the other night in the motel, and this had Emily's eyes roaming the spy's whole look.

"Oh okay. The rain has lightened up and it's getting late. So tell me if you wanna order in or..?" Paige asked, leaving her question hanging. "For dinner I mean." She added when Emily gave her a confused look. She looked out of the balcony and saw that the rain had indeed lightened up, but the sky was still as dark. Emily didn't know that the time went by so quickly while she was cooped up in her room.

"I think ordering in is fine." She said, putting down her phone and getting up.

They settled for Chinese and after a debate between which side orders they should get, they finally called a food hotline to place their orders. While waiting for their food to arrive, Paige got to setting up the dinner table in the kitchen while Emily sat in the living room, thinking of a way to pass time. She was having difficulties stopping her eyes from roaming all over Paige's behind when the spy came into the living room to offer her a drink and Emily politely accepted, only to check out Paige's back view when she turned to leave the room. She chastised herself internally and tore her eyes away, feeling something build up below her stomach. Paige was just as jittery as Emily, unable to choose the correct dining utensils properly, misplacing a plate with a soup bowl and a normal cup for soda with a wine cup. She couldn't focus after Emily got out from the shower dressed in the spy's clothes. The wooly pullover sweater was fine until Paige's eyes landed on her loose-fitting trousers that were just above knee level worn by Emily, showing off her long tanned legs that caused her brain to short circuit.

Emily was flipping through the channels on the television with Paige sipping quietly on her drink; both girls sitting opposite ends of the couch again during the wait. The food came not long after and Paige proceeded to make payment to the delivery guy. She carried the paper bags of food to the kitchen, Emily automatically walking over to help her.

"It's fine, I got it." Paige said, giving Emily a soft smile. She felt her heart flutter when Emily returned a smile of her own, not saying anything. Both girls did not know why they were standing by the kitchen door, smiling at each other goofily over carrying the paper bags. Paige was the one whom ended the smiling fest, looking at the ground as she turned away to walk towards the dining table.

Halfway through their dinner set in tension filled air, Emily lost her appetite and kept the leftovers in the fridge. Paige didn't feel like eating either, cleaning up the table before putting the plates in the dishwasher.

"Oh yeah, how much do I pay you for the dinner?" Emily asked, just before stepping out of the kitchen.

"No need to. It was just takeout food." Paige waved off Emily's attempt to pay her back.

"But it was still dinner. Unless we just had a date?" Emily said with a mischievous smile that made Paige's heart increase in tempo.

"Uh.. No. It's just me paying for your food. And mine. Really no big deal." Paige said robotically, walking pass Emily to get out of the kitchen. She was careful not to brush any part of the raven haired girl as she slid pass her. Emily watched Paige move towards the stairs. "I'm gonna head to bed first. If you need anything, just knock." Emily nodded. "Goodnight." She said awkwardly before disappearing upstairs.

"Goodnight Paige.." Emily said to herself, feeling a bit frustrated with how Paige was treating her. It was confusing. She shook her head to clear her mind, but it was just so filled up with Paige McCullers that Emily decided to go to bed as well; wanting to sleep off everything and hoped that tomorrow, things would change for the better.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, thanks for the reviews/follows/favourites! Really glad that some of you like my story:) **But** i'm going on a rather long hiatus due to my exams.. So i'm sorry. Chapter five was quite rushed and yes, it's short, i needed to study so apologies again. Promise to make up for it once my exams are over!

p.s: suggestions on what you think i should write for the next chapter are always welcomed:)

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Five

_Paige kept seeing flashes of wavy brunette tresses. She didn't know where she was, but it was piling with people walking pass her; so crowded, she could barely breathe. This didn't help her though, when she finally saw the brunette figure. The air left in her lungs became nonexistent but Paige didn't react and just stood still, breathless. Her heart started to race as she got closer to the brunette. Dark brown eyes met her own, and she couldn't help but smile sheepishly. The brunette didn't return it though, giving a half smile without much effort. She turned and walked away, leaving Paige standing amidst the crowd. Paige followed the brunette's back with cascading locks and then lost her, immediately feeling empty. Suddenly, she found herself standing at the entrance of a battle arena. Paige walked into the massive arena, feeling small and anxious for no reason. She found a reason to when her eyes landed on the same brunette among the ring of spectators. The lengthy brunette stood to leave and Paige found herself chasing after her, only to stop when she realised that they were both in her house watching television. Confused, Paige scooted closer to the brunette on the sofa tentatively, unsure that she might run off again._

_"Hi. You're Emily, right?" Paige said gently, her heart pounding against her chest as she kept her face neutral._

_"Yeah." Emily said indifferently, giving off a vibe that she didn't want to associate with the auburn haired girl. She was rolling the remote in her hands, giving herself something to do. Paige felt increasingly nervous as she tried to keep the conversation flowing. _

_"I heard about you somewhere." Paige said unknowingly, feeling extremely awkward._

_"Are you sure? Or did you search for me." Emily said with a tinge of accusation, glaring at Paige. _

_"What? Erm.. " Paige mumbled, quite taken aback. She felt like what the brunette said was true, but it wasn't. It was as if the raven beauty knew about Paige's crush on her, and that made Paige really afraid for some reason.._

Paige snapped open her eyes, breathing heavily. Sweat formed on her forehead and her heart was pounding rapidly. Paige grabbed hold of her blanket as she tried to slow her breathing down.

_It was just dream. _Paige thought with a sigh, closing her eyes in relief. She didn't know what the dream or nightmare meant, replaying the scenes in her head over and over again. How Emily was so cold towards her when the girl was the exact opposite in real life. The spy got up and sat cross-legged, choosing to get some morning exercise to clear her head instead of going back to sleep. It was still early, the sun painting the dark skies pink as it rose. The sweet scent of dew from the forest filled the cabin, giving Paige a fresh kick start to her day.

* * *

Emily woke up to the smell of bacon in the morning. She pried her eyes open, only to blink a few times due to the sunlight seeping through the curtains. The raven haired girl rubbed her eyes and finally sat up, feeling dazed. She inhaled the aroma of fried bacon and it got her stomach growling. Feeling hungry, Emily stood up to leave, but she slowed down her steps when she saw her two luggages on the floor.

_Paige must've brought them in while I was asleep._ she thought, reminding herself to thank the agent later. It was sweet of her and the raven beauty started to feel self conscious, wondering if she displayed any embarrassing sleeping posture or facial expression.

Downstairs, Paige was by the stove cooking breakfast. She had just returned from her quick morning run, needing the exercise but again, unable to leave Emily alone for too long. The agent made a mental note to try and get the girl to run with her next time. She wanted to know if the tanned girl could keep up. Emily may or may not be a runner.. _But she's definitely an athletic. _Paige thought to herself, blushing furiously at the image she had encrypted in her mind.

Earlier in the day after her morning run, Paige decided to bring in Emily's luggages, not forgetting her promise last night. When she cracked open the door gingerly to Emily's room; wanting to see if she was awake after knocking and announcing her intrusion, Paige had to rewind her actions and quietly compose herself behind the closed door. She took in a few deep breaths, trying to erase the exposed view of Emily's toned stomach from her brain. She failed miserably and opted to remember it instead, laughing pathetically at herself. Emily was lying with one arm stretched out above her head, the other on her torso. Her shirt had rode up and Paige had a glimpse of the raven beauty's flat stomach. Paige kept her eyes trained onto the ground as she quickly carried the luggages into the other girl's room one by one; literally dashing out once she was done, as if the room was toxic. Paige couldn't even remember how to blink, her eyes widened so much at the image of Emily's perfectly toned abs. They weren't bulky like those of a body builders'; with a hint of definition and a sun kissed colouration, those abs knocked the air out of Paige's lungs.

Paige turned her head towards the direction of the doorway when she heard footsteps, snapping her out of her daydream. Her heart beat quickened when the sight of Emily came into view. The sight of Emily in messy raven locks and crumpled sleeping wear.

"Good morning." Emily said timidly, her own heart rate increasing in tempo. Paige was still in her running attire, frying strips of bacon with a ready plate of scrambled eggs at the kitchen table.

"Morning. Breakfast is ready. Let me just get you a plate." Paige replied, opening the top cabinet and grabbing a plastic plate. She shooed Emily away when she tried to help herself, plating the crispy bacon and eggs for the tanned girl.

"Thanks." Emily said gratefully, smiling at Paige. "I can take care of myself you know." She added lightly, hoping that some of her questions will be answered.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Paige replied distractedly, pouring two cups of coffee for Emily and herself.

"I mean, you're doing more than just protecting me. You're pampering me. You don't have to do that so why?" Emily asked, sitting at the kitchen table waiting for Paige to join her with the coffees. Paige walked over, careful not to spill the coffees as she set them onto the table.

"I don't know. I guess it's a habit?" Paige shrugged, sitting opposite Emily. "I don't mean anything bad by it. I know you're capable of taking care of yourself but I just.. I want to take care of you." She admitted, hesitantly meeting Emily's gaze and then dropping them to her plate. Emily felt her heart ache for the girl seated in front of her, deciding to drop the matter and concentrate on her breakfast Paige cooked for her instead.

* * *

The sound of water splashing and whistles blowing rang in Paige's ears. The spy was currently seated at the bleachers, watching Emily subtly and speaking to Richard on her hidden ear piece.

"Yeah, she's having her swimming session now. Something she's doing for extra curriculum." Paige spoke monotonously, not wanting to attract any attention from Emily's coach or teammates. Emily had swimming courses, part-time jobs and to top it all off, weekly lectures in Accounting; keeping her Mondays to Saturdays packed, leaving Sundays free for rest.

"Alright. So how is everything? Have you two settled down yet?" Richard's voice rasped through the speaker.

"W-what?" Paige stuttered, lost of words with the unexpected question.

"Have you two settled down yet? At the cabin?" Richard clarified, oblivious to Paige's near heart attack.

"Oh. Yeah, we have. Emily really appreciates it by the way." Paige answered, recovering quickly.

"That's good. Now, about your sleeping pills case. We managed to locate where those drugs could've been made and collected more intel on Ray's occupation status. His latest job application was at The Rosewood Halloween Spooktacular Store. He worked as a clerk, so I want you to go there and investigate that store, got it?" Richard ordered, giving Paige the directions.

After Paige confirmed her next assignment, she tuned the micro mike off and looked for Emily. When Paige spotted her, the tanned girl was pushing herself out of the pool, the whole action as if in slow motion. Paige felt her heart stop; her mind shutting down as the pool water trickled down Emily's face and bare limbs, making her skin glisten. The way the swimmer got out of the pool effortlessly, toned arms flexing as she pulled herself up. Paige's jaw hit the ground when Emily took the swimming cap off, wet raven tresses cascading down her back. She tore her eyes away from the raven beauty's body and chastised herself inwardly for staring.

"Hey Emily, who's your friend over there?" A girl with straight blonde hair and a freckled face asked. Emily turned towards the direction her fellow swimmer was pointing at, seeing Paige looking everywhere but at her.

"Oh that's Paige." Emily said, picking her blue towel off the bench to dry herself. "What?" She added, after sensing that the blonde clearly had a question at the tip of her tongue.

"Are you two seeing each other? If you don't mind me asking." The girl finally said, looking at Emily and then at Paige.

"What? No, Claire. She's just a.. Family friend. Visiting for awhile." Emily lied, keeping a neutral expression. The blonde girl gave a suspicious look.

"Interesting. The other girls were right." Claire said, obviously studying the spy.

"Right about what?" Emily inquired, becoming aware of a few teammates behind her, huddled together and giggling away.

"That she's really cute. Is she available? Because you two look pretty compatible, but she looks like the kind of girl that doesn't settle. If you know what I mean." Claire winked before adding, "Just so you know, she was _totally_ checking you out." She teased, causing Emily's cheeks to turn several shades of red that went unnoticed.

Claire waved goodbye before walking off to join her group of friends, a few of them staring blatantly at Paige as they ambled pass her. Emily perceived the shy smile that Paige gave them, feeling a pang of jealousy. Her face was still flushed over Claire's observation, dismissing it as she wrapped the towel around her body and retreated to the locker rooms. Paige noticed the raven haired girl leaving the natatorium, immediately going after her.

The locker rooms were already empty by the time Emily was done showering. Paige waited patiently for the girl, lying on one of the benches by the lockers. She was staring at the ceiling, hands resting on her stomach and not bothering to move when she heard approaching footsteps.

"Did you wait long?" A sweet voice that Paige could recognize asked, Emily's face coming into her view.

"Nope. Are you.." Paige's voice descended into a whisper that wasn't audible. Emily was hovering near the spy's head, body covered in nothing but a towel. Paige shot up into a sitting position and gawked at the swimmer's athletic build that was partially exposed.

_Oh Lord help me._

"W-what's wrong Paige?" Emily asked timidly, squirming under Paige's blatant stare. The spy immediately looked away, blushing so hard that her ears turned red.

"Nothing. I'm sorry for staring." Paige said, trying really hard to control her hormones. She gripped the edge of the bench, forcing herself to cool down.

"Don't be. We're equal now. Let me get dressed and then we'll leave." Emily suggested, moving towards her locker behind Paige. She was feeling bold about this move, secretly wanting Paige to look at her and only her. Emily bit her lip to hide a smile from forming on her face. She found this version of 'Flustered Paige' absolutely adorable, wanting to see more of it.

Paige just sat there, afraid to make any movement and stared down at her feet while Emily changed behind her. That thought made her freak out, but Paige just wore her best poker face throughout.

* * *

After the girls had their lunch, Paige decided to visit The Rosewood Halloween Spooktacular Store that happened to be nearby. She told Emily her reasons for going there and the raven haired girl felt uncomfortable with the idea. She wanted to stay away from the killer, not go up to them personally despite Ray not working there anymore. Paige had to reassure Emily that they will be safe, bringing them to where they were now: debating in an immobile car.

"Paige, I'm telling you. This is unsafe not only for me but for you too." Emily said sternly, worried about Paige and her life.

"And I'm telling you it'll be alright. Need I remind you that I'm a certified top secret agent that took up seven different martial arts and, oh that's right. I'm well armed too?" Paige reasoned out. Emily didn't need to say anything, her face said it all. The tanned girl was visibly smaller cuz she was frightened, still doubting Paige.

"I'll be real quick. I just need to ask the manager some questions and we can go. Scouts honour." Paige coaxed, studying Emily's face. The girl didn't look at her and just sighed, so the spy resorted to her last resolve, feeling nervous about it.

"I promise I won't leave your side, Em." Paige said earnestly, placing her hand tentatively on top of Emily's.

When her nickname left Paige's lips, it just sounded so right. Emily couldn't help but smile as she tilted her head towards the girl beside her. Paige's heart swelled when the raven beauty finally met her gaze, the small smile causing butterflies to do somersaults in her stomach. Paige was trying to get the girl to look at her, so she had unconsciously leant forward; only becoming aware of their proximity now.

Emily had her heart beat drumming in her ears, becoming louder when she caught Paige glancing at her lips. She gathered all of her courage and inched her face closer to the agent's, noses almost touching. And like always, Paige made an abrupt movement and pulled back; Emily feeling stupid as she rebuked herself for reading all the signs wrongly, although she couldn't think of any other reasons for Paige's body language.

"Alright. Let's go." Emily sighed, giving in. Paige cleared her throat awkwardly and gave the raven haired girl a nod, face flushing at what almost happened. She turned the keys in the ignition and started the car, driving off to the store where Ray Reynolds once worked at.


End file.
